The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-10
CRUELTY In THE CAMPS.
DR.. wESTMORELAND CONTINUES
HIS TESTIMONY.

The Objection Made by the Counsel of
the Respondents Overruled-Many
Cases of Legitimate Childbirth
The Prisoners Overworked and Inn
properly Fed.
ATLANTA, GA, Sept 9.-The convict lease
case was taken up again at 10 o'clock this
morning by the Governor and Attorney
General The following ruling was made
on the objection of the respondents yes
terday:
Relative to the matter brought out by
the States counsel in the examination of
DIR. Westmoreland, which the counsel for
the defendants claim is not covered by the
written specification, it is ruled that even
in court proceedings parties may amend
their pleadings, either in matter of form
or substance at any time In
this investigation it is the purpose Of
the Governor, if he can, to get all the
facts and the inquiry will not be restricted
even by the strict rules observed in the
ceurts. The States counsel may amend
their charges to cover new matter brought
out, and the defendents will be allowed am
pie time to meet new charges. This Is all
they can rightfully claim"
The examination of DIR. Westmoreland
was resumed and concluded. Portions OF
yesterdays testimony were gone over again.
In the report of Sept. "A, 1885, DIR. West
moreland complained that DIR. Scovin was
not qualified, and requested that he be dis
charged. He communicated the fact to Mr.
James For some cause he persisted in
keeping him. DIR. Scoyin was in charge
of the Bingham camp and Pounds
camp. In the report of July
26 1887, referring TO the camp near
WheleSs, in Richmond county, the Bondu-
rant q Joplin camp, he said, was confident
that the eOnvicts were being overworked.
He based that opinion on seeing them
worked and from seeing their condition. He
saw the cooking place, and there was evil
dence there that they were not properly
fed. Ii was a positive fact, so far as he was
concerned, and he knew that they were not
properly fed.
CAUSES OF scURvY..
The amount of sickness was the result Of
improper preparation of food and INSULT
cient fresh meat and vegetables. That was
one of the causes of scurvy. Scurvy lessons
the red blood. The food is not assimilated.
You then have the one hundred and one
symptoms of scurvy. IL remedies and
treatment are not applied in time it
may become incurable. The convicts at
Cole City, who had scurvy in 1885, died re-
were deaths at the brick yard which re-
suited from a scurvy taint. There is a sub
stance in the succulent vegetable and in
fresh meats which is necessary to the we'll
being of man. He had called the attention
of the lessees to this matter frequently.
He talked ON the subject of diet to Messrs.
Lowe and Bondurant till he got ashamed of
himself In January and February, 1884,
he heard in Albany that number of con-
victs had passed through. He knew there had
not been any order. He didn't think Messrs.
English and Lowe knew anything about
that. He thought they we're taken from the
Chattahoochee camp Several illegitimate
children had been born in the convict
camps, but he could not give the names and
the number of such children. One Of them
told him she had borne seven. She had
been in fourteen years. He don't know
what became c4 the children. The witness
could not tell whether tho fllegitimate chill
dren were begotten by convicts or freemen.
DIR. Scoyin was removed by Gov Mcdaniel,
on recommendation of the witness.
sHUBRIcK's STORY
Assistant K eeper Shubrick was the mex
witness. He testified as to the condition of
the whipped convicts and the sanitary ar
ranRements at different camps. He stated
that Company no. 9 would be entitled to
about 625 convicts. The Chattahoochee
barracks would not hold over 250 or 300
Company No would be entitled TO about
6g5 convicts. The Old Town barracks
would not hold over about 200. The con-
victs were'sent cut, or ordered direct, to the
camps of Messrs. James and Smith.
Convicts were owned by the following:
Company No, 1, Senator Brown for the
Dade Coal Company; Company No. 2, Mr..
Lowe, seven-eighths, and Mr.. Brown,
one-eighth; Company No. 5, Mr. James
one-quarter, Mr.. Smith one-guarter, MIR.
Brown one-quorter, and the Chattahoochee
Brick Company one-quarter. MIR. Subrfck
went over his various printed and written
reports to the Governor of the condition OF
the camps, all Of which were submitted In
evidence. He stated that illegitimate chill
dren were born at the various camps, some
were begotten after the women came in, and
some when the women went to the peniten-
tiary pregnant
Principal Keeper Towers began testimony
late in the afternoon, and the hearing was
adjourned till tomorrow, pending his testi-
mony He testified as to the cruel treat
ment of convicts at Binghams camp, and
described how the convicts were whipped,
already reported in the NEWS. He also
testified as to the bad condition of tine Bon
durant and Joplin camps, near Augusta,
and his recommendation to the Governor
that they be removed as unfit men to CO
troll convicts.
After tomorrow the court will adjourn
to Sept. 10, as the Governor will be in
Philadelphia next week, and the Attorney
General has two State cases Monday Id
Butts Superior Court.